Chick adopted by family cat

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MIDDLETON, England, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- An Englishwoman says a young chick whose siblings were killed by a fox found an unlikely surrogate parent in the family cat.

Jane Etheridge, 69, of Middleton said one of her bantam hens hatched 14 chicks about 2 1/2 months ago but a visit by a fox to the henhouse left only three surviving hatchlings and two died soon after, The Daily Telegraph reported Monday.

Etheridge said the surviving chick, Gladys, was brought into the home she shares with her husband to recuperate from the traumatic experience and she almost immediately came under the protection of the family's 10-year-old cat, Snowy.

"Snowy cleaned her and washed her. Gladys is now about 2 1/2 months old and is our pet. She still comes into the house to play," Etheridge said. "She comes in and bounces up and down in front of Snowy and he just stands there and takes it and puts his arm around her.

"They are the best of friends, very much so, and when she first started going out she would not go unless they went together. They are a strange couple but we love them both very much."